Foreign relations of Kosovo

Foreign relations of Kosovo are accomplished by efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo. Kosovo operates 33 embassies abroad and is host to 22 embassies in Pristina. Kosovo has membership in several international organisations.

Politics of Kosovo
Constitution and law
Executive
Legislature
Judiciary
Administrative divisions
Recent elections
Foreign policy

On 17 February 2008, members of the Assembly of Kosovo declared independence from Serbia. This move was controversial among the international community. International supervision over the direction of the assembly ended in September 2012,[1] and Kosovo became responsible for its own governance.[2] The Republic of Kosovo has been recognised by 118 UN member states, the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Cook Islands, and Niue. Serbia and other member states consider Kosovo as an autonomous region of Serbia.

The current Foreign Minister of Kosovo is Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz.

Status of diplomatic relations

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kosovo has initiated the process of establishing diplomatic relations with all states that have recognised Republic of Kosovo, either by opening new missions or through accreditation of non-resident ambassadors to these countries.[3]

Diplomatic relations
# Country[4] Date
1  United States 18 February 2008
2  France 18 February 2008
3  Albania 18 February 2008
4  Turkey 18 February 2008
5  United Kingdom 18 February 2008
6  Germany 20 February 2008
7  Austria 28 February 2008
8  Denmark 6 March 2008
9  Monaco 19 March 2008
10  Sweden 28 March 2008
11   Switzerland 28 March 2008
12  Belgium 10 April 2008
—  Nauru (suspended) 23 April 2008
13  Estonia 24 April 2008
14  Italy 15 May 2008
15  Slovenia 15 May 2008
16  Australia 21 May 2008
17  Bulgaria 27 May 2008
18  Latvia 11 June 2008
19  Hungary 27 June 2008
20  Netherlands 27 June 2008
21  Czech Republic 16 June 2008
22  Croatia 30 June 2008
23  Lithuania 1 September 2008
24  Norway 25 October 2008
25  Ireland 11 November 2008
26  Finland 2 February 2009
27  Japan 25 February 2009
28  Palau 25 March 2009
29  Canada 7 April 2009
30  Maldives 16 April 2009
31  Saudi Arabia 7 August 2009
32  North Macedonia 18 October 2009
33  New Zealand 9 November 2009
34  Montenegro 15 January 2010
35  United Arab Emirates 27 April 2010
36  Mauritania 14 September 2010
37  Honduras 2 December 2010
38  Qatar 7 January 2011
39  Malaysia 23 May 2011
40  Luxembourg 16 June 2011
41  Saint Lucia 19 August 2011
42  Andorra 14 September 2011
43  Malta 22 September 2011
44  Portugal 14 November 2011
45  San Marino 3 May 2012
46  Iceland 15 May 2012
47  Liechtenstein 28 June 2012
—  Ghana (suspended) 4 October 2012
48  Burkina Faso 6 December 2012
—  Dominica (suspended) 12 December 2012
49  Kuwait 16 January 2013
50  Niger 25 January 2013
51  Pakistan 27 January 2013
52  Fiji 13 February 2013
53  Djibouti 19 May 2013
54  Jordan 5 June 2013
55  Guyana 13 June 2013
56  Afghanistan 17 June 2013
57  Panama 28 August 2013
58  Federated States of Micronesia 19 September 2013
59  Costa Rica 23 September 2013
60  Grenada 25 September 2013
61  Marshall Islands 28 October 2013
62  Thailand 22 November 2013
63  Senegal 14 February 2014
64  Bahrain 12 March 2014
65  Gabon 19 March 2014
66  Tanzania 2 April 2014
67  Libya 5 May 2014
68  Vanuatu 19 May 2014
—  Togo (suspended) 27 July 2014
69  El Salvador 10 October 2014
—  Solomon Islands (suspended) 27 April 2015
—  Cook Islands 18 May 2015
—  Comoros (suspended) 28 May 2015
70  Somalia 28 May 2015
—  Niue 23 June 2015
—  Sierra Leone (suspended) 24 November 2015
71  Saint Kitts and Nevis 4 March 2016
72  Belize 29 April 2016
73  Malawi 21 July 2016
74  Ivory Coast 24 August 2016
75  Gambia 22 September 2016
76  Singapore 1 December 2016
77  Tuvalu[5] 2016
78  Brunei 20 February 2017
79  Samoa 10 June 2017
80  Bangladesh[6] 16 February 2018
81  Barbados[7] 9 March 2018
82  Chad[8] 27 May 2018
83  Liberia[8] 27 May 2018
84  Guinea-Bissau[9] 10 June 2018
85  Antigua and Barbuda[10] 24 July 2019
86  Colombia[11] 1 October 2019
87  Guinea[12] 20 June 2020
88  Israel[13] 1 February 2021
89  East Timor[14] 9 March 2022

Membership in international organisations
Main article: Membership of Kosovo in international organizations
See also: Membership of Kosovo in international sports federations

Enver Hoxhaj, Kosovo's Minister of Foreign Affairs during 2011–14 and 2016–17, stated in November 2013 that the country was considering making applications for membership in three United Nations specialized agencies in the first half of 2013,[15] and that an application for membership of the Council of Europe in 2014 was being prepared.[16] Deputy Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi reiterated the state's desire to join in December 2014.[17] Kosovo is also preparing a membership application for the World Trade Organization.[18] Joining NATO's Partnership for Peace is a priority of the government.[19]

Hoxhaj said in 2014 that Kosovo's goal is to be a full UN member state by 2020 and a NATO member state by 2022.[20][21]

On 15 December 2022 Kosovo filed a formal application to become a member of the European Union.[22]

International Organisation Political Entity Represented Application date Admission date Status
Before the Declaration of Independence
Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI) UNMIK Observer[23]
South East Europe Transport Observatory (SEETO) Kosovo* and UNMIK[24][25] 11 June 2004[26] Member
Energy Community Kosovo*[27][28] 1 July 2006 Member
European Common Aviation Area (ECAA) UNMIK 30 November 2006 Member
Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) UNMIK 6 April 2006 26 July 2007[29] Member
After the Declaration of the Independence
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Republic of Kosovo 10 July 2008[30] 29 June 2009[31] Member
World Bank (WB) Republic of Kosovo 10 July 2008[32] 29 June 2009[33] Member
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (ERBD) Republic of Kosovo[34] 2010 or 2009[35] 17 December 2012[36] Member
Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)[37] Kosovo*[38][39][40] 23 February 2013[41] Member[42]
Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) Republic of Kosovo 14 June 2013[43] Member
Council of Bureaux (CoBx) Republic of Kosovo 2011[44] Applicant
Adriatic Charter Republic of Kosovo 29 March 2012[45] Applicant
NATO Partnership for Peace (PfP) Republic of Kosovo July 2012[46] Applicant
Council of Europe Venice Commission Republic of Kosovo 13 June 2014 Member
Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) Republic of Kosovo[47] 29 November 2014[48] Observer
South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) Kosovo*[49] 23 May 2015[50] Member
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Kosovo* 28 January 2016[51] Observer
Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units Republic of Kosovo 1 February 2017[52] Member
World Customs Organization (WCO) Republic of Kosovo 3 March 2017[53] Member
Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) Republic of Kosovo 6 November 2015[54] 5 January 2016[55][56] Member
European Qualifications Framework Advisory Group (EQF) Republic of Kosovo 18 December 2015[57][58][59] Member
International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) Republic of Kosovo April 2015[60] Applicant
International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA) Republic of Kosovo 21 February 2017[61] Member
Bureau of International Expositions (BIE) Republic of Kosovo 18 March 2017[62] Member
Assemblée parlementaire de la francophonie (APF) Republic of Kosovo 9 July 2018 [63][64] Observer
Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) Republic of Kosovo 9 October 2018 [65] 11 october 2018[66] Associate
Council of Europe (CoE) Republic of Kosovo 12 May 2022.[67] Applicant
European Political Community (EPC) Kosovo* 6 October 2022[68] Member
European Union (EU) Republic of Kosovo 15 December 2022[69][70] Applicant
International Commission on Missing Persons Republic of Kosovo 19 July 2023[71][72] Member

Names used to represent Kosovo
Map of the Republic of Kosovo

Kosovo is represented under the name:

  • "Republic of Kosovo";
  • "Kosovo*" (with an asterisk),

depending on the particular international forum. A list is set out above. The name "Republic of Kosovo" is self-explanatory and is the preferred nomenclature of the Pristina Government. The name "Kosovo*" with an asterisk is used in other fora. Where this name is used, the asterisk is linked to a footnote which reads:

This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ opinion on Kosovo Declaration of Independence.[73][74][75]

This "Kosovo*" designation was the outcome of an arrangement agreed to between Pristina and Belgrade in talks mediated by the European Union. This arrangement, which has been dubbed the "asterisk agreement" was agreed in an 11-point arrangement agreed on 24 February 2012.[76]

"UNMIK" is an acronym for the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, which has joined several organizations on behalf of Kosovo.

International treaties and conventions
International treaty or convention Political Entity Represented Signature Ratification
Free Trade Agreement with Albania UNMIK 7 July 2003[77] 1 October 2003[78]
Free Trade Agreement with North Macedonia UNMIK 2 February 2006[78]
Free Trade Agreement with Croatia UNMIK 28 September 2006[78] 1 November 2006[78][79]
Free Trade Agreement with Bosnia and Herzegovina UNMIK 19 October 2006[78] 1 December 2006[78][79]
EU Pan-EURO-MED RoO convention[80] Kosovo under UNSCR 1244
Free Trade Agreement with Turkey Kosovo 27 September 2013 1 September 2019[81]
Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU Kosovo 22 October 2015[82]
UK/Kosovo: Partnership, Trade and Cooperation Agreement Kosovo 20 December 2019
EU Schengen Area non-visa agreement[83] Kosovo 26 April 2023 [84]
13 agreements and declarations with Albania Kosovo 6 July 2023 [85]

See also

References
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  2. "Sixteenth and final meeting of the International Steering Group for Kosovo" (PDF). International Civilian Office. 10 September 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  3. Kosova and Liechtenstein to establish diplomatic relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kosovo, 2012-06-28
  4. Gëzim Visoka (2018). Acting Like a State: Kosovo and the Everyday Making of Statehood. Abingdon: Routledge. pp. 219–221. ISBN 9781138285330.
  5. "Europe". Retrieved 9 August 2022.
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  7. "Foreign Minister Pacolli: I welcome the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kosovo and Barbados, while we will continue the same practice with all peaceful countries". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo. 9 March 2018. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  8. "Glad that Kosovo has established diplomatic relations with Liberia and Chad". Twitter. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
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  16. "Hoxhaj: Kosova e gatshme për aplikim kredibil në Këshillin e Evropës". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo. 2014-01-15. Retrieved 2014-01-19.
  17. "Zëvendëskryeministri i parë dhe Ministri i Jashtëm Thaçi u takua me Sekretarin e Përgjithshëm të Këshillit të Evropës, Jagland". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo. 2014-12-17. Retrieved 2014-12-22.
  18. "Kosovo Ministry of Trade to apply to WTO". 2015-03-13. Archived from the original on 2015-03-25. Retrieved 2015-03-23.
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  24. Before 2013 only the UNMIK.
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  27. Before April 2013 membership was assigned to the UNMIK.
  28. "Parties". Archived from the original on 30 May 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
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  31. "Kosovo Becomes the International Monetary Fund's 186th Member" (Press release). International Monetary Fund. 2009-06-29. Retrieved 2009-06-29. The Republic of Kosovo became the 186th member of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) today when President Fatmir Sejdiu and Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi signed the IMF's original Articles of Agreement at a ceremony in Washington D.C.
  32. "Kosovo Application for Membership in World Bank" (Press release). World Bank. 2008-07-15. Archived from the original on May 20, 2015. Retrieved 2009-06-29. In the letter dated July 10, 2008, Kosovo applied for membership in the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Development Association, the International Finance Corporation, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes.
  33. "Kosovo Joins World Bank Group Institutions" (Press release). World Bank. 2009-06-29. Archived from the original on 2015-05-20. Retrieved 2009-06-29. The Republic of Kosovo became the newest member of the five World Bank Group institutions today, when Kosovar President Fatmir Sejdiu and Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi signed the Articles of Agreement of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).
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  36. EBRD – Our shareholders
  37. Formerly the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe
  38. Before 28 February 2013 membership was assigned to the UNMIK.
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